Varun Aggarwala’s Post

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Engineering Microbiome for Therapeutics, Wellness and Diagnostics. Make in India for the World. Purely Personal Opinions and Thought Experiments.

Frontier Mindset in the USA vs. The "Kiss-Ass" Godfather Model in Modern India. 💡💡 Why are Indians overrepresented in leadership positions, unlike East Asians? Why do we excel at managing but struggle to build? 💡💡 Friends, I often criticize India because I want our nation, the cradle of civilization and the crossroads of humanity, to reclaim its rightful place as the true GOAT Vishwaguru. But it’s impossible to be one without being original, disruptive, creative, and building iconic ventures and discovering new frontiers. Today, we live in a Western era, where virtually everything of note in the modern world is the direct result of their research, innovation, and ventures. What makes the USA the greatest experiment ever is (a) the frontier spirit of its people and (b) the disproportionate rewards given to disruptors, regardless of race or creed. No other nation celebrates disruption and constant renewal of its top soil like the US. Unfortunately, this mindset contrasts sharply with the Indian approach, where many rise through the ranks via extreme networking, i.e. the Godfather model, which has long been the *****only viable path to upward mobility in a deeply colonized society*****. I love Sriram Krishnan and celebrate the achievements of every Indian, but this is precisely why Indians are receiving so much hate on Twitter today. We are overrepresented in leadership positions, unlike East Asians (check the PNAS paper in comments), because we excel at understanding human nature and can network, find mentors or gurus, and "kiss ass" to get ahead. The Gharana (or fiefdom) system, a form of patronage, is common across many cultures. While I don’t entirely oppose this model, we must also focus on producing something truly disruptive. I see this same issue in Indic academia. Indian scientists often complain that you can’t rise through the ranks without a Godfather. Whether or not this is true, we need to move past this model. Sure, networking and being deferential to authority are important, but at some point, we must also produce disruptive work. You can’t become a CEO or a leader simply by wordcelling. Middle management may run the world, but India cannot move ahead by being the BACK OFFICE. ➡️ 💡 Our students must aim to perform bold experiments, work on disruptive ideas, and shake the world, and not just complete a BTech+MBA and join a GCC. The world respects and remembers original thinkers, doers, builders, and inventors—not middle managers or caretaker CEOs. Right now, every $ counts, and we may need to "kiss ass" to rise through the ranks. But at some point, we must follow the US model of celebrating dissent, disruption, and innovation; and create iconic ventures and make new discoveries, worthy of a Vishwaguru.

Varun Aggarwala

Engineering Microbiome for Therapeutics, Wellness and Diagnostics. Make in India for the World. Purely Personal Opinions and Thought Experiments.

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